Hekates Night, 13th August, 7, Further Dating.
There are two more possibilities or connections to the 13th and Hekate. The first is the possibility, though I call it the least likely, that the date is simply because one year the Deipnon fell on the 13th of August and people got confused thinking the festival always happened on the 13th.
The other is this interesting statement,
“The time was at hand when smoke fills Diana’s grove, Her sanctuary at Nemi, for a runaway slave made king, Hippolytus’ hidden lake glowing. Diana herself crowns Her ancient hounds, polishes up her arrows, and allows The wild creatures to pass in safety: all the land of Italy Celebrating the Ides of Hecate, and every hearth purified.” – Silvae, by Statius.
This is obviously in reference to the time of the Nemoralia, which happens over the 13th of August (or the full moon of August) in ancient Rome. But the interesting part here is how that particular time of the month of August is not called the Ides of August (or whatever name the month had back then) but is instead called the Ides of Hekate.
There are also two more curiosities that also coincide with this time of the year, though I don’t think they mean anything for this festival I find them interesting nonetheless. The first is that August 12 is usually during the period referenced as the dog days of summer, named for the dog star Sirius. According to Wikipedia (ever so trustworthy) the ancient Greeks associated this time with, among other things, sudden thunderstorms. Why is this of note, other than the thunderstorms mention? Because of the connection between Sirius and the Titan Perses – father of Hekate.
The second curiosity is the Perseid meteor shower which is during August and, this year at least, happens to peak on the 12th. The shower is named for the constellation they appear to come from, Perseus. Not that special, until you again consider the father of Hekate. He is not Perseus of course – but they do share a similar name. As I said, it means nothing but it is interesting anyway.
